Persistence
by midnightkennedy
Summary: Ana works at GEH for the mysterious Christian Grey. Once he finally meets her, he' instantly becomes enchanted by her. Will Ana give in to Christian's antics or will she run away from him entirely?
1. Chapter 1

_Thank god it's Friday_.

It's a cliché quote to reference but it's always relevant, especially today. Today marks the end of my first week working at Grey Enterprise Holdings, Inc. I feel as if I should be awarded the Medal of Honor for surviving my first week. It was no easy feat.

This isn't my dream job but it's the only job I could get and it pays decently. I'm doing this solely for the paycheck, living on your own is not an easy task and it can become quite expensive. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair as I realize that I'm not going to be able to buy groceries this week. I don't start getting pay checks until next week…great.

I wish I could say that working at GEH is a dream come true but sadly it is far from it. I work in the basement, practically alone. I'm basically filing everything and anything they tell me to or delivering files wherever they tell me to. It's really dark down here and extremely depressing. There aren't any windows and the lighting sometimes flickers. It's almost as if I'm starring in my own personal horror movie. Whenever I'm told to deliver something and I emerge to the lobby, I almost feel as though I have to re-adjust back to being a civilized human. Spending too much time alone and in a dark space can really make a person feel out of touch with humanity.

 _Two more hours…_ I tell myself excitedly. Two more hours until I can leave. My luck is evidently missing seeing as I just got a large stack of paperwork that needs to be organized and filed away before the end of the day with a large no matter what sticker on top. Looking on the bright side if I hurry I'll be finished in time before the sun sets.

I put on my glasses and I quickly get to work. I don't end up finishing until way after eight. The paperwork was a complete and total mess and ended up taking me a few hours to try to figure out its chronological order. I look a mess, my hair is extremely disheveled and my skirt and shirt ensemble are now a wrinkled mess. My lips have no lip color on them and my glasses are dirty. I walk up the stairs to the main lobby and thank my lucky stars that at least I'm not the only one left in the building seeing that there are at least a few security guards standing around. Just knowing that they are there makes me feel tremendously safer.

Suddenly, I hear the ding of the elevator and quickly turn my head back to see who it is. I figure it's probably a janitor of the sorts but I'm quickly mistaken. It's a gorgeous man with copper brown hair that's just as messy as mine, if not messier. He's holding his briefcase and his jacket is thrown over the crook of his arm. His white linen shirt is rolled up to his elbows and his tie is untied but still hanging around his neck. He's looking down into his phone with furrowed brows and comes straight at me. I quickly jump out of his way realizing that if I waited a moment longer he probably would have run into me.

His head shoots up as he sees me jump from his peripheral vision. He regards me intently and I instantly shrink into myself, realizing how awful I look right now. He looks extremely intimidating and extraordinarily gorgeous, his grey eyes are mesmerizing. I'd be willing to bet that he didn't expect anyone else to still be here either. He keeps staring at me and I realize that I'm staring back just as heavily. I quickly rip my gaze away from his and look outside into the intimidating darkness.

 _It's raining and I forgot my umbrella_ I think inwardly to myself.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair and search for my coat. I audibly groan as I realize that I left it at my desk. In normal circumstances I would just abandon my coat but it is a long walk home and I would like to make it there somewhat dry.

I turn and head back the stairway that leads to the basement. The copper haired Adonis stares at me with his mouth agape as I head back downstairs. I bet he didn't think that people actually worked down there either. He probably works with senior management. Even though he looked like he had a rough day, he exudes money and wealth. I emanate poverty with my skirt being extremely ill-fitting and my blouse a size too big and my heels are extremely old but it's all that I have and I make it work. At least I have a decent coat. It was the last gift I ever received and I love it. It's a long beige double breasted trench coat that hits right at the knee. I button up the big black buttons all the way down and tie the belt tightly around my waist and make my way back up to the lobby mentally preparing myself to brace the rain and the long walk home.

Once I return to the lobby I no longer see Mr. Gorgeous but I do see a black SUV parked in front of the building but I think nothing of it. I exit the building and look up at the sky and let the rain drops fall upon my face, soaking me completely. I place my hands in my pockets and start the long trek home. I decide to go over my to-do list for the weekend; rooms I need to clean, laundry that needs to be done and so forth. I'm so consumed in my thoughts that I don't realize that the black SUV is following me until I reach a red crosswalk sign. The roads are extremely vacant and as are the streets. It feels a bit too eerie to be so empty on a Friday night and I start getting goosebumps.

As I wait for the crosswalk sign to turn green, I hear a car door open. I turn around and double check to see if anyone is behind me. I see a dark figure approaching me under a big black umbrella. I start fidgeting with the sleeves of my jacket, racking my brain for all the self-defense moves I learned during Krav Maga a few years ago.

The mysterious figure gets closer and closer and I debate whether or not I should try and make a run for it. I almost decide to run until I catch the distinct fleck of copper. I recognize it immediately as belonging to the man I saw earlier today in GEH.

 _Did he follow me?_ I think to myself.

"Hi, I was wondering if you'd like a ride home. It's raining quite heavily and you're without an umbrella, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold." His voice is like melted butter and I instantly swoon.

He regards me intently.

"So what will it be? Would you like a ride…?" He asks again, visually becoming more annoyed.

I quickly regain my wits.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I mutter in embarrassment, wiping away any visible drool that may have made an appearance on my face. _Thank god it's raining or he would have seen you make a complete fool of yourself_.

At least he has the decency to smile. "Would you like a ride home?"

"I'm sorry; I don't accept rides from strangers." I say regretfully and I quickly turn and head in the direction of my apartment trying to walk away as quickly as I possibly can in these heels. Unfortunately he catches up to me rather quickly.

"You mean you don't know who I am?" He questions, imploring me to look into his eyes.

"Um…no. Am I supposed to?" I bite my lip in nervousness.

He shakes his head incredulously. "No. It's just normally people do."

"Oh, you're that guy." I reply judgingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He presses.

"It means that you're extremely arrogant and full of yourself because you just assume that everyone will know who you instantly are." I state.

He furrows his brows and his grey eyes darken in anger.

I roll my eyes and turn to leave once again. He grabs my arm and stops me from moving away from him. Instead he grabs my hand and drags me into the car.

"Don't you dare. I have pepper spray and I will use it on you." I say as I desperately try to pull myself wrist out of his hold.

He laughs. I cannot believe he had the audacity to laugh. In order to make my point, I quickly pull the pepper spray out of my waist band and aim in front of his face. This make him effectively stop laughing. I smirk at him as he instantly lets go of my hand and backs away from me.

He pinches the top of his nose, "Please get in the car," he breathes.

"No. I do not know you." I reiterate as if I'm talking to a small child.

"Allow me to introduce myself; I'm Christian Grey, CEO of GEH. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss…"

The minute the name Grey came off of his lips I froze like a statue. I started inwardly panicing as I realized that I just pulled out a canister or pepper spray and threatened to take down my boss. I'm going to be fired I realize. I begin to wonder if I should get on my knees and beg for forgiveness or just quit and find a job working at a McDonalds or something. I'm leaning towards the latter.

"Please just get in the car. I won't tell you again." Mr. Grey looks at me with annoyed eyes and I realize that if I want to keep my job I might as well listen to him. I get into the backseat of his SUV and am instantly surprised that there is someone in the front. I throw a quick glance at Christian but he doesn't notice as he's too busy trying to make sure I have my seatbelt on properly.

"So, what's your name and why were you working so late?" Mr. Grey decides to jump in to the questions straight away.

"I'm Anastasia Steele and I work downstairs as a filer. I was busy trying to organize paperwork that I received that needed with an oversized sticky note claiming that it was to be done tonight, no matter what. It just took my longer than normal to finish it.

"You work in the basement?" He asks, "I didn't know that they actually had people working down there."

"They don't." I correct him. "It's just me."

"I see." He looks deep in thought as he pulls out his blackberry and begins to type feverously.

"Where do you live?" Mr. Grey asks me.

"A couple blocks down. You know, it's really ok Mr. Grey. I'd be way more comfortable walking. I'd hate for you to have to go out of your way as I'm sure we live on opposite sides of town." I add in hopes he will let me leave.

"I will not ask you again, Miss Steele. Address, now." Mr. Grey all but hisses at me.

I know that I'm pushing his buttons but I'm extremely nervous to have him seeing where I live. It's not the best of neighborhoods and it does have a bit of a reputation but it's all that I can afford. I'm proud of it because I'm able to pay for it all on my own. I reluctantly give him my address and I can instantly see his face grimace as he recognizes the area but at least he has the decency not to say anything.

We quickly arrive in front of my apartment building and it's even more intimidating in the night. There are strange men smoking and hanging around the entrance of the building. I inwardly groan and go to pick my bag up off the floor until a hand stops me.

"This is where you live?" He asks incredulously, "This is extremely dangerous."

"Yes I live here Mr. Grey." I spit out venomously.

He has the audacity to look taken back by my sudden anger. In reality I'm embarrassed and hurt as to the fact that he thinks so lowly of my home. I know it's not the best but I still feel proud of it. The way I look at it, everything could be a lot worse. I could be homeless and I thank my lucky stars that I'm not.

"Not everyone can afford lavish penthouses, Mr. Grey. Thank you for the ride and have a wonderful weekend." I throw out at the last moment as I escape his car and scurry into my building and don't turn back.

I try my best to ignore the cat calls and profanities that are being thrown my way as I walk the halls until I reach the door of my apartment. I open the door as quickly as I possibly can and shut it just as fast and then work on locking the seven locks that I had recently installed as a safety precaution.

I headed deeper into my apartment and flicked on the lights. I sighed in relief, I was finally home. I threw my bag on my new white couch and I flopped down beside it as I turned on the television and decided to see what was on. I was quickly engrossed in the newest reality television show when I heard a series of knocks against my front door.

I headed to the door to see who could be knocking at this ungodly hour and prayed that it wasn't one of my sleazy neighbors again. Instead I had the shock of my life.

I quickly undid the locks and swung the door open.

"Mr. Grey?" I breathed.

"I don't mean to intrude but I cannot leave you knowing that you live here. It is beyond dangerous and I would like for you to pack a bag and come back home with me until we can find a new place for you to live." Mr. Grey added absentmindedly seeing as he was too busy scanning the visible parts of my apartment and shaking his head in disgust.

"No." I say calmly looking straight into Mr. Grey's deep grey eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

"No? What do you mean no?" Mr. Grey asks confused.

"I mean, no, as in no, I will not go home with you." I clarify slowly.

"Why? It's not safe for you to stay here." Mr. Grey tries to reason with me which in turns makes my blood boil.

"What you fail to realize, Mr. Grey, is that by claiming you're actually trying to look after me, you're actually insulting me tremendously. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe this is the best that I could afford? I'm sorry but I didn't grow up privileged like you. I've had to work hard for everything I have and while my apartment may look extremely pathetic to you, it's a treasure to me. It's my home and I love it." I say getting angrier. "Besides, Mr. Grey, you just met me an hour ago. Just think, if we never met I would've still walked home by myself in the dark and the rain and I would've made it back just fine."

Mr. Grey truly looks as if he is at a complete loss for words.

"How do you know that you'll be fine?" He questions.

"Let's see…because I've been doing this all week and I'm still here." I throw out and I look out around the hallway and slowly begin to get antsy at all the attention we're garnering. "Would you like to come in, Mr. Grey or are you leaving? Because I'd really like to close my door." I say feigning annoyance, trying to mask my blossoming anxiety.

He decides to quickly come inside and pushes me to the side as he shuts the door and goes to lock it up. _How rude_ I think to myself. He turns around and looks at me with amused eyes as he eyes all of my different types of locks. I flush embarrassingly and tuck a piece of my hair behind my eyes as I cast my eyes down, desperately trying to avoid his scrutinizing gaze. He finishes locking up and turns around to face me completely. He lifts my head up with his index finger which forces me too look directly into his eyes. The sudden contact of skin makes my breath hitch which unfortunately fails to go unnoticed.

I'm beyond mortified by how drastic my simple evening has turned out to be. If someone told me that I'd be in my tiny apartment with my boss on a Friday night, I would've told them that they were absolutely delusional but alas here I am.

"So…" I say desperately trying to break the silence. He lets my face go and begins to examine my sitting room, looking somewhat pleased by the tidiness and simplicity. I gesture for him to sit on the couch and offer him water which he gratefully accepts. I start chastising myself for not having any type of alcohol in my home. It's just so expensive and I'd much rather have money to buy water and bread.

"How long have you been living here?" He inquires.

"Six months," I whisper softly.

I hear his quick intake of breath. I glance at him and he looks so forlorn.

"Why? How?" He juts, still unable to process the fact that I actually live in an apartment building that could probably also be considered a crack house.

I shrug my shoulders and start picking at my finger nail beds.

"This is better than being homeless…" _again_ I leave out.

"Have you been homeless before?" He presses and I sigh knowing he won't stop until I give him the answers he wants.

"Yes." I whisper and sit back on the couch and draw my knees into my chest, trying to make myself as little as possible.

"When?" He probes.

"After both my parents died." I say simply just leaving it at that.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." He says with as much sympathy as he can muster. He places his hand over mine and gives it a tight grip. I try to muster up a smile to let him know that I'm fine but I just can't. Although the moment he touches my hand, I get the chills. It's a very out of body experience and unlike anything I've ever felt in my entire life. I suddenly wonder if he could feel it too or perhaps it's just me.

To be honest, I'm completely thrown off guard by his whole demeanor. I've heard stories about the ruthless Mr. Grey and I must say that this man is far from it. He seems completely broken, like me. I noticed it the minute I saw him get off the elevator. I wonder if he saw the same thing in me, maybe that's why he wanted me to go home with him.

"Look, I know you're very proud of your home and I get it, trust me I do but it's not safe here for you. You could stay with my temporarily in one of my guest rooms. There is top of the line security and it has a lot of amenities." He says sounding extremely hopeful.

"Why do you care so much? You just met me." I probe.

"I can't explain it, I just do. You remind me of myself." He says.

Bingo! That's what I've been waiting for, the pity.

"Look Mr. Grey, I'll have to pass on your offer. I don't accept pity and I most certainly do not take handouts. I'm happy here and I will continue on living here until I'm ready to move. Thank you for your offer but I'm getting tired and I need to be up early tomorrow so it would be best if you left." I say feigning politeness.

"You're…you're….you're kicking me out?" He says in disbelief. Who would've thought that Mr. Grey could be rendered speechless? I certainly didn't ever consider that to be a thing.

"I'll see you Monday, maybe. Thank you for a very eventful evening, Mr. Grey." I say sweetly.

His face hardens and his eyes darken tremendously. It's almost frightening. He doesn't say a word and heads to the door opening it and walking out. I instantly feel nervous thinking that he might fire me come Monday morning. I would really hate to lose this job, it's the best paying job I've ever had and I don't think I have it in me to start at the beginning again.

I quickly make work of the locks, double checking to make sure that they're all secured. I turn off the television and quickly work to move to the coffee table to the side of the room. I begin to pull out the couch and head into the hall closet to grab my linens and sleeping pillows. I set up the makeshift bed and head into my supposedly bedroom which is more along the lines of being a slightly larger closet. I pull out my workout gear for tomorrow and set down on the oversized chair I had recently bought.

I head to my bathroom and quickly strip off my work clothes and hop into the shower. I quickly lather up my hair and rinse it completely. I pour body wash on a washcloth and quickly work the delicious vanilla scent into my skin. Trying with all my might to wash away today's randomness. As I finish my shower, I wrap myself inside my oversized towel and begin to roughly dry my long hair. I go back into my room and put on my black leggings and an off the shoulder sweatshirt. I often get pretty chilly at night so I pair it with a pair of warm and fuzzy socks and I make my way back to my bed.

As I lie in my bed I gaze up at the ceiling and reflect over the day. I almost feel guilty for not taking Mr. Grey up on his offer. I know that he was only trying to be nice but it still doesn't make me feel any less competent. He made me feel like I was failing at life which I already know to be true but having him point out made me feel like a ginormous failure. I mean he is extremely successful, has his own business, is a billionaire and is only seven years older than me. He clearly has his stuff together; he puts the rest of the human population to shame. With a sigh, I turn on my side and wrap myself even tighter inside my comforter and fall into a blissful sleep dreaming of a happier life.

 _Saturday_

I awake to an obnoxious ringing sound which I can successfully attribute to my alarm clock. I glance at the clock and reluctantly decide to hop out of bed and get started with my day. I decide to head out for a run this morning and chase the dawn. I strategically put up my hair in a ponytail so that way it won't get all gross and sweaty from the workout I'm about to participate in. I change out of my pajamas and into the gear I laid out last night. I end up with a black shorts overtop a pair of running tights and a black spandex tank top paired with a white running jacket to help protect me from the crisp morning air. I throw on my black running shoes and I quickly engulf my last banana. I grab a cup of water and quickly down it and then proceed to head out the door. After thoroughly locking up I slip my key into one of my zipped side pockets.

I head out of the building and feel instantly relieved that the people who were hanging around here last night are long gone. I zip up my jacket all the way to my neck and button the top part so that way it won't come undone while I'm running. I start heading down in the street, slowly beginning to pick up the pace as my body warms up. I'm completely unaware of my surroundings as I continue to push myself even further. I'm not ready to go home yet so I decide to keep on running. I want to push myself as far as I possibly can. I quickly end up by the marina and I almost do a double take not believing my surroundings and end up tripping over my feet. I stumble and grab onto the rail in a ragged attempt to steady myself. I then realize that I need to sit down and take a break. So I turn and head towards an empty park bench. I sit all the way back and lean forward, watching my legs dangle below me. It's a really chilly morning and I can see my breath in the cold air. I begin to rub my hands together to try and create friction to keep them warm as my fingers are starting to lock up from the coldness. I look out at towards the marina and admire all of the boats. They're beautiful and I would love to be able to go on one, one day. I'm sure that being on a boat in the middle of the open waters is an extremely freeing feeling. There's just something so magnificent about being completely detached from the everyday dilemmas that life brings, it's like a more enjoyable form of isolation.

I quickly get off the bench and walk back towards the railing and lean upon getting a closer look at all the different boats. Even though I know next to nothing about such great vessels, I still enjoy looking at them. They're beautiful. I sigh as I realize that the sun is beginning to rise higher in the sky and I decide that I should probably start heading back, seeing as that I'm quite a long way from home.

I begin to pick up the pace as I run alongside the rails of the marina. I hear my name being called off a distance behind me. I stop suddenly almost falling to my face. I know that voice I realize. I just met that voice last night. I bite my tongue and quickly turn around to address Mr. Grey himself. While I'm desperately trying to look agitated, I end up looking star truck. He looks even more gorgeous all sweaty and glistening, dressed in a tight long sleeve grey shirt that clings to the ripples of skin. My mouth starts to water and I quickly have to remind myself how inappropriate my thoughts are. _This is your boss, idiot._

"Good morning, Mr. Grey. How are you on this glorious morning?" I say with my voice dripping in sarcasm. Luckily he decides to ignore it.

"I'm wonderful, Miss Steele." He says with a smile. I swear my heart skips a beat. "You're an awful long way from home, aren't you?"

I quickly recover my senses. "I like to run long distance." I say with a shrug, feigning nonchalance.

"I see. Would you like a ride home?" He questions.

"No, thanks. I'd much rather run and get as much fresh air as possible." I say with a sweet smile. I do not want him driving me back home, ever again. He senses my insecurities and gives me another genuine smile.

"Suit yourself Miss Steele. Have a safe run home and a safe weekend. I'll see you Monday morning." He says with a curt nod.

"See you Monday, sir." As the words leave my mouth I hear him gasp but I quickly shake it off and begin my long trek home.


	3. Chapter 3

The entire way home I feel as though I am being followed. It's a very surreal feeling. I keep looking back but there's never anyone behind me as always. As I ran home I couldn't help but develop a rising suspension that Mr. Grey was the one following me. I sincerely hope that's not the case since I never actually saw him. I'd much rather have him openly follow me than hide behind buildings which in turn causes me unnecessary anxiety and paranoia. _Who am I kidding, I'm_ _losing it. I'm going absolutely mad thinking that my boss would have the desire to follow me. I'm positive he has a million better things to do._ I can't believe I'm actually concocting such ridiculous notions.

I quickly approach my building and head inside to my apartment. I breathe a huge sigh of relief knowing that I'm home and I'm safe. I think I let my paranoia affect me more than I originally wanted it to. My shoulders immediately slump at my realization and I let out a long sigh and lay down on the floor directly on my back. I realize that I'm actually pretty tired from the past week so I decide to take a quick a shower and a much needed nap. The moment my head hits my pillow I quickly drift off into a deep slumber.

I'm awoken by the sounds of banging on my door. I sigh dramatically because I instantly know that there is only one person who would bang on my door.

"Grey…" I mutter to myself while the banging continues.

I run a hand through my hair trying to make it somewhat presentable. I pull my shirt down and debate whether or not I should change but I decide to go against it and just open the door. His banging just keeps on getting louder and louder. I'm actually quite shocked he's not yelling yet.

"Anastasia, I know you're in there. Open the door." He yells aggressively.

I spoke too soon. Now I'm angry, he's not only disrupted me but he's also disrupted my neighbors as I can hear people beginning to yell at him to keep his voice down. He ignores them and keeps pounding on the door. I quickly make work of the locks and swing the door open while his fist is raised and frozen in the air. His expression is a mixture of anger, anxiety and relief. Regardless of his mood, he looks absolutely gorgeous and I find myself just staring at him.

He crosses his arms across his chest and looks me directly in the eye. "I've been banging on your door for the past seventeen minutes," he says as he pauses to double check his watch. "Correction, eighteen minutes. Would you care to explain to me why you did not answer?"

"I find someone banging on my door to be rather rude." I spit back.

His eyes harden and if looks could kill, I'd probably be dead by now.

"May I come in?" He asks beginning to look uneasy.

I purse my lips and deliberate for a moment longer than necessary. I unwillingly decide to put him out of his misery and move to the side of the entry way and gesture for him to come in. Once again he pushes past me and makes way for the sitting room. I follow behind him after closing and locking the door once again. He comes to a sudden halt as he takes in my makeshift bed and I run into his back and instantly fall onto the floor.

"Jesus, Ana." He stretches out his hand, gesturing for me to take it which I reluctantly do. As he pulls me up he regards me intently. He glances down at our now entwined hands and emits a sigh and quickly lets my hand go and stuffs his back into his pocket.

"Is that your bed, Ana?" He asks me with closed eyes while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yes." I say as politely as I possibly can and mentally prepare for him to scold me due to my poorness once again. Instead he remains silent.

"What are you doing here Mr. Grey? I thought that we agreed that we would see one another bright and early on Monday _at work_." I emphasize by raising my eyebrows at him and give him a pointed look. "I don't recall checking the box for receiving unorthodox, sporadic house calls when I was filling out paperwork with HR. On the off chance that it's a new thing you're starting, please leave me out of it."

Fury radiates off of him in waves. I really need to work on establishing a filter. I'm so getting fired.

"You really should keep your smart mouth shut, Anastasia." He remarks evenly.

"Ana." I blurt. "Call me Ana."

"I would prefer to call you Anastasia seeing as that is your name. Isn't it?" He says with a smirk.

"And I would prefer it if you called first before you showed up at my home, uninvited." I mutter exasperated.

I realize that I'm thirsty so I head into the kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink, Mr. Grey?" I ask softly since I can feel him standing right behind me.

"No, thank you." He mutters.

I pour myself the largest glass of water I can possibly find and decide to finish it before I confront him again. Seeing as though I have yet to turn around and he's still standing behind me, closer than he was before.

My body feels as though it's on fire and my heart is beating out of my chest. I don't know how or why he elicits such strange emotions from me. I've never experienced such feelings and I'm having difficulty trying to register what exactly is going on here. It's so weird. I mean I met this man less than twenty-four hours ago and he's everywhere. I briefly wonder if I should look into a restraining order. I mean this type of behavior cannot be normal. It's worrisome.

"Why are you here, Christian?" He raises an eyebrow at my use of his name. I figure if he wants to use mine then I can use his and I imitate his gesture right back at him.

"I wanted to see you." He says honestly.

"But you already saw me today." I report back to him.

"It wasn't enough."

Now it's my turn to remain silent. My mind is running with a different thoughts and I cannot for the life of me figure out why he would want to see me; out of all people.

"Do you have any plans for the rest of your day?" He asks expectantly while staring at his watch.

"I do actually." I lie. I hope he can't tell that I'm lying so I try to look as impassively as possible.

"Can you rearrange them and spend the rest of the day with me?" He looks at me expectantly.

"That depends."

"On?" He asks clearly exasperated by my hesitancy.

"What you're planning on doing." I respond as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He grins a boyish grin that just melts my heart into a puddle of mush.

"Just give me a moment to change." I say politely as I head to my closet. He follows me. I look at him disgusted. _Is he going to watch me change?_ Instead he surprises me and goes into my closet and picks out my outfit.

"Here, put this on." He makes a face as he hands me my clothes and quickly leaves the room.

I look down at the outfit he's handed me and stare at him dumbfounded. Where could we possibly go and have it be acceptable for me to wear black leggings in public. He also gave me a heather grey oversized long sleeved sweater to accompany the leggings an oversized thick red scarf and black boots. I head into the bathroom and change into my clothes. I put on the outfit he gave me and decide to put on a little bit of makeup, mostly just mascara to enhance my overly large blue eyes. As I stare at my reflection in the mirror I realize that I cannot go out with my hair looking like a crazy tangled mess. I decide to brush it thoroughly and try to tame my natural waves as best as I possibly can. When I feel as though I look decent enough to be seen with the desirable Mr. Grey; I take a deep breath and exit my bathroom.

I'm quickly stopped in my tracks when I see that Mr. Grey has made my bed and put my couch back together for me. I'm momentarily rendered speechless because it was extremely thoughtful of him to do that. I even notice that he took the time and effort to neatly fold my blankets in a pile atop of the couch. To my surprise though, I end up finding him in the kitchen. He's inside my fridge in what I can only assume is to take in my lack of food. I decide it's time to make myself known.

"I already know what you're thinking just please don't say it aloud." I say softly, bracing myself for his wrath.

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. I can tell he really wants to make a comment and that it's taking everything he has to keep it to himself.

"Let's just go." He finally says grabbing my hand as we leave my apartment.

 **AN.**

Hey guys. Sorry to keep you all waiting. I was extremely unsure if this was the direction I wanted to take the story but I feel like it works so I'm just going to go with it. I'm overall happy with it and I hope that you all like it as well. :)


	4. Chapter 4

As we exited my apartment, hand in hand, I could feel anxiety begin to blossom in my stomach. My insides felt as though they were being twisted in knots. I couldn't even begin to comprehend how to process my feelings and if I could I still hadn't the slightest idea of what to do about it. I looked down and stared at our linked hands and I prayed to God that he didn't think my palms were gross and sweaty, he would be so repulsed. As I looked back up at his face I saw a look of concentration. His brows were furrowed, his eyes were hard and his lips formed a subtle scowl. I almost shuddered in fear as I quickly discovered that I would hate to be on the receiving end of that look and I would do absolutely anything in my power to avoid it. Instantly, I grew curious as to who was on the receiving end of that look. I turned my head and looked straight ahead and I quickly realized what was happening. I instantly tightened my hand around Mr. Grey's and shifted myself so I was half hidden behind his back. He looked down at me curiously and locked his jaw in fury, he pulled me farther back behind him as if he was trying to hide me completely.

It was the same group of people who were in front of the apartment building last night. They were now huddled in a group in front of the Mr. Grey's vehicle. His driver was standing outside of the car holding the door open for us. As we got closer to the car, they drew closer to us. I desperately hoped that they wouldn't open their mouths and say something stupid. The last thing I need is for them to say something stupid and make Mr. Grey judge my living arrangements once again. I don't think I can tolerate any more negative feedback from him. He's this high-class, rich person who is constantly surrounding by luxury and I'm not even close to that. I almost don't feel worthy to be in his presence.

As we arrived closer to the car Mr. Grey pulled me from behind his back and gently pushed me into the backseat of the vehicle. As I climbed further into the seat, he gently shut the door behind me and seemed to stand outside of the door and talk to his driver. Mr. Grey kept looking back towards the group of men and then back at me. It wasn't until I saw that his driver had to grab ahold of him and pull him back to the car that I realized that they had managed to say something extremely offensive and profane due to the smug look on their faces. I quickly buckled my seat belt as Mr. Grey made his way to the other side of the car and I put my head in my heads and closed my eyes while I rubbed my temples. Mr. Grey opened the door quickly and slammed it shut. I flinched. I could feel the anger radiating off of him in tsunamic waves. I thought it would be best if I just keep to myself.

He never turned to look at me. Instead he pulled out his phone and started typing away. I lifted my head up and turned to look out the window. I knew this was a horrible idea to begin with and now I couldn't help but wonder why I had ever agreed to go with him. Since now I was stuck in a moving vehicle with someone who clearly no longer wanted to be around me. I briefly debated the pros and cons to hopping out of the vehicle at a red light. There was a part of me that wanted to desperately flee and never see Mr. Grey again but the other part felt comforted and safe in his presence. It was an odd feeling and I didn't quite know what to make of it.

"Do they normally behave like that?" Mr. Grey finally asked, breaking the silence.

I tore my gaze from the window and glanced at him. He was staring at me intently, his grey eyes were piercing and I could quickly feel myself getting lost in them. I stared at him as I gathered my bearings and nodded my head in confirmation to his question. He hissed under his breath letting his rage consume him once again.

"It's not so bad…" I mutter quietly, mostly to myself.

He sighed.

"Men like that can be extremely dangerous. I'd prefer it if you take up my offer of coming to stay with me for a while." He said nervously while raking his hand through his hair.

"Thank you for your offer but I'm afraid that I must decline, again. I barely know you." I whispered the last part.

"I know that we hardly know each other but I can't help but feel the overwhelming need to protect you." He said gruffly.

"Why?" I looked up at him curiously.

He just stared back at me, not saying a word. I quickly looked down in my lap and played absentmindedly with the fringe in my scarf. Neither of us spoke after that. It wasn't until we came to a complete stop and his driver got out of the car did I realize that we had already arrived. As I look around, I become even more confused with my surroundings. Mr. Grey got out first and made his way over to me and held my door open for me.

"Thank you," I manage to mutter as I grasp ahold of his hand again. I instantly realize what I've done when he doesn't grab it back and I quickly pull my hand away in embarrassment. I feel the heat spread to my cheeks and I bite my lip nervous and cross my arms over my chest.

"Where are we and what are we doing in a parking deck?" I say as I look around confused as to why he'd bring me here.

"We're at Escala," he said while looking nervous. "My home," he added quietly under his breath.

"I see. Why did you bring me here? Are you trying to change my mind?" I said through gritted teeth while looking up at him accusingly. This was not alright I couldn't believe he'd do this.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "I would be thrilled if you were to change your mind in regards to staying with me. Also, if I'm being completely honest then yes, I'm going to do everything I can in order to get you to change your mind. I can protect you here and you would want for nothing but alas I already know that, that will not happen anytime soon; so instead I brought you here for lunch. My housekeeper is a killer cook and I thought you would appreciate a home-cooked meal versus something from a restaurant. Although, if you'd prefer to eat somewhere else we could do that too." He looked at me expectantly, clearly he was waiting for my answer before we headed towards the elevator.

I was at a complete loss for words so I could only nod my head. He instantly let out a sigh of relief and headed towards the elevator. It took me a moment to realize he was moving away from me and I hurried after him after I saw the elevator doors open. He stared back at me amusingly as I quickly ran into the elevator and stumbled over my feet. I was flushed with embarrassment.

"Don't." I said harshly.

"I would never, Miss Steele." He said back with a smirk.

The elevator ride was tense and awkward for the most part. There was an undeniable electric energy between us that had me staring at the floor and biting my lip nervously. I could feel Mr. Grey staring down at me and he had me fidgeting in my seat. Suddenly, I heard the ding of the elevator alerting us that we have arrived at our destination and the moment the doors opened I bolted out as quickly as I possibly could. As I looked up to take in my surroundings, I came to a complete sudden stop causing Mr. Grey to bump into me and push my down to floor. In the midst of our fall Mr. Grey managed to pull me a top of him so when we hit the ground, he took the brunt of the fall and not me. My body was mostly between his legs, my hair was fanned to the side of his body, my hands were pressed gently against his chest and my face was nuzzled into his neck. To anyone else it would look as though we were a loving couple in a passionate embrace but I knew the truth. It was not like that at all.

As I slowly came to the realization of what happened I instantly wanted the ground to swallow me up whole and bury me alive. If I never saw the light of day again I would be perfectly alright. All too quickly I felt Mr. Grey shift underneath me uncomfortably. I realized that now was probably a good time to get off top of him and check to see if he was hurt since he did take the fall directly on his back. I was getting ready to lift my head to get a read of his expression until I felt one arm tighten around me and another arm gently caress my back. Even though I knew what we were doing wasn't right, I still didn't want this moment to ever end. I nuzzled my face deeper into the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent. I felt safe and protected in his embrace and I didn't want to ever be without it. I never want to leave the safety net of his warm embrace ever again. _Maybe moving in with him won't be too bad…_

It suddenly felt like hours have passed when in all actuality it had only been a mere three minutes and thirty seven seconds; not like I was keeping count or anything. I heard him sigh softly and I realized that our moment was done and it was time to get up. I quickly shimmied myself down his body until I was situated in front of him resting on my knees. I soon became reacquainted with his grey eyes and heated stare and instant reaction I parted my lips dramatically. My pulse began to quicken as I took in his disheveled hair and the bulge of his muscles through his shirt. I couldn't believe that only a minute ago was I up close and personal with those bulges.

He gave me a devilish smirk and quickly sat up so that now we were almost touching one another. He had somehow successfully trapped me between his legs and if he wrapped his arms around me I would be completely trapped and at his mercy. _If only…_

I decided to mess with him a bit and I quickly stood straight up and stepped over him, further entering the apartment. I looked back and I successfully saw him staring back at me with his mouth wide open. Not even a moment later I heard him get up and come stand behind me making the back of my neck prickle with anticipation.

"Thank you." I whispered softly, praying that voice didn't betray me.

"For?" He asked confusingly.

"For everything. You've been incredibly kind to me and I've just been completely awful to you." I say while lowering my head.

"There is no need to thank me. To be perfectly honest, I haven't been the nicest to you either." He remarked, suddenly seeming agitated.

"That's where you wrong. No one has ever been as nice to me as you have and I suppose that I just didn't know how to act in light of it." I realized that I needed to shut down the conversation immediately or else I would start crying like a baby. "So now that, that's settled, what about lunch?"

He could sense that I wanted to end this conversation and grabbed my hand to pull me into the kitchen. As we entered past the foyer of the apartment I lost the ability to speak entirely. His apartment was the most spectacular thing I have ever seen.

"You…you…you have a beautiful apartment. It's so…white." I said thoughtfully.

He raised his eyebrow. "White?"

"Yes. White." I said while heading towards to floor to ceiling windows. I was mesmerized as I overlooked Seattle. I almost felt as though I was princess looking out of my window from my tower as I awaited my prince to come and rescue me.

"Do you like it?" He asked while staring at me.

"I love it. It's absolutely breathtaking. I could only imagine what it looks like when it rains. If I lived here and it was raining I would build a fort and camp out right here and spend the whole day reading." I said as I imagined doing just that, dreamily.

"Well…" he started to say.

"Well nothing. I was only day dreaming." I quickly shoot back, effectively stopping whatever he was about to say.

He ran his hand through his hair while pulling at it dramatically. "Come on, let's eat."

Lunch was beyond spectacular. His housekeeper made a delicious Greek salad with smoked salmon. While eating it I felt as though I had died and gone to heaven. After lunch I was in a feeling of complete bliss and I couldn't remember the last time I had a meal this good. It was in this moment that I was truly grateful for everything Mr. Grey has done for me. He made it seem as though he really did care. Even though lunch was relatively quiet, it wasn't awkward. It was peaceful and felt natural.

"So…how did you like it?" Mr. Grey asked while breaking the silence.

"It was absolutely fantastic. Please tell your housekeeper I said thank you and that the meal was absolutely exquisite. Thank you so much for bringing me here, Mr. Grey." I beamed at him.

"I will. Would you like a tour?" He asked suddenly seeming nervous for some reason. I couldn't help but find his sudden change of behavior rather odd but I didn't look to deep into it.

"Sure." I said while picking up our plates and setting them in the sink. As I turned on the water, Mr. Grey leaned over me and shut off the faucet.

"I have a housekeeper that does that. Come on, let's begin." He said as he grabbed my hand and started heading towards the hallway.

 **AN:**

Sorry I've been MIA. I wanted to put this up Monday night but I failed due to the worst case of writers block but luckily I'm out of it and I'm feeling completely inspired. I've already started on the next chapter. Here's the thing though, when I write a chapter I write a few different versions of I go from there, that's why it took me so long to post and I will try to be better about it in regards to the upcoming chapters. I do have a question...would you rather there be BDSM or no BDSM? I'm currently unsure of what to do in regards to that aspect and I really want to know what you guys would prefer. Let me know in the reviews or send me a PM. Looking forward to hearing what you guys think. Also shout out to mellzeau for making me realize how much long I've been away from this story you made me really get inspired to finish this chapter and post it.

midnightkennedy


	5. Chapter 5

Mr. Grey gripped my hand tightly as he led the way through his apartment. If it wasn't for him holding my hand captive, I would have instinctively wrapped my arms around myself. I felt so out of place, I was too scared to touch anything because I was positive that I would surely break it. Mr. Grey kept pulling me in and out of all the rooms rather quickly, I was beginning to sense that he wanted to hurry up and get this over with so he could get me out of here.

"You have a lovely home." I managed to say to break the silence.

"Thank you." He replied coldly.

I shuddered inwardly from his lack of emotion and coldness. I couldn't help but wonder if he was mad at me as we made our way back into the kitchen. I was beginning to become quite sad that our time together was nearly over. I realized that I was quickly beginning to enjoy being in his presence it was comforting.

"There is one last room, I'd like to show you…if you're interested." He said shyly.

I raised an eyebrow at him in return. I was intrigued by what he wanted to show me.

"I'm always interested when it comes to you." I said earnestly.

He stared back at me with such intensity for a brief moment I couldn't help but feel as though he was looking straight through me. I blushed red from my head to my toes.

"Is this room your favorite room?" I asked as I hurried after him when he suddenly turned on his heels and headed towards the great room.

He didn't answer me. I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit hurt but I decided to just let it go. I probably didn't deserve an answer.

When he stopped in front of the door, I was immediately intrigued because while all the other doors I saw were solid wood, this door was made entirely of glass. I wasn't able to see anything because he was in the way. I was half tempted to peer around him but I didn't know how he would respond to that. I didn't want him to think it was childish or something of the sort.

"This is my favorite room in the entire house." He finally said pulling me from my eccentric thoughts. _He answered my question._

I couldn't help but smile at him even though his back was to me in a moment of weakness I ran my eyes down his back. My mouth watered at the sight of him, he was hands down the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Luckily for me, at this exact moment he ran is hand through his hair and I could see the flex of his bicep through his shirt. He was very well built and toned. _I bet he looks even better naked._ I quickly shut myself down after that thought. I couldn't have inappropriate feelings about me boss. I didn't want to be one of those girls. Just because he took pity on me and he was nice enough to invite me into his home, doesn't mean he's going to drop down on one knee and ask me to marry him today. He's just being nice to me. He's almost like a friend and right now I could use a friend. I don't necessarily have any. _Whose fault is that?_ My subconscious sneered at me. Sometimes I wished that I was able to look past everything that's ever happened to me and just let people in and be more open and friendly. It pains me being the way that I am. I couldn't help but wonder how Monday at work was going to be. Would Mr. Grey acknowledge me if he saw me or would he ignore me completely because he was embarrassed? Just there mere thought of him avoiding me made my heart ache. I could really use a friend and I wanted Mr. Grey to be that friend. He was nice and kind and those kinds

"This is my music room." He said interrupting my thoughts once again. My mouth dropped open.

"You have a music room?" I squeaked.

I finally decided to hell with my childish tendencies and I peered around him. My heart stopped as I came in contact with the most beautiful room I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in my entire life and I was merely just looking through the glass. I quickly whipped my head back towards Mr. Grey and I silently nodded my head forward as if I was asking permission to enter.

He nodded back and held the door open for me. I barreled past him eagerly and without pause. It wasn't until I was smack dab in the middle did I finally stop moving.

The walls were nonexistent instead there were wrap around windows, the ceiling and remaining walls were painted a bright white and the flooring was a stunning grey beechwood. In the middle of the room sat a black grand piano. My fingers twitched to touch it. As I turned around I noticed that there was a round glass table that was covered with sheet music. On each side of the table were two large ornate arm chairs. I made my way to the table to see what style of music he gravitated towards. I was instantly surprised when I picked up the paper and saw that these were his own compositions.

"How long have you been composing?" I asked while setting back down the music on the table and heading back towards where he was standing over by the windows.

As I got closer to the windows my jaw fell to the floor in shock. I couldn't believe that this was his view. You could see all of Seattle's stunning skyline and Elliot Bay. I was mesmerized. I was half tempted to pinch myself because I honestly believed I was dreaming and I was going to wake up at any moment. How on Earth could I, Anastasia Steele, be standing here overlooking all of Seattle with one of the richest men in the entire world? It made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

"I've been composing since I was around fifteen years old." He said quietly while staring out the window.

"I'd love to hear some of your pieces sometime." I said with a smile as I stared up at him.

He quickly turned his head and looked down at me with wide eyes but yet he remained quiet. I bit my lip in nervousness because he wouldn't stop staring at me. He was making me feel uneasy with his constant stare.

I could hear his breath hitch and he ran his fingers through his hair. I couldn't help but stare at him while he did this because I could see the flex of his muscles. My mouth watered at the thought of his strong arms and the fact that his shirt was not doing me any favors to conceal the bulge of his muscles. I quickly realized that I was fawning over my boss and I seriously needed to stop. It was the second time in the span of probably less than twenty minutes, I was becoming a pervert. To distract myself, I turned back towards the window and watched the people of Seattle move about their day. I could feel Mr. Grey smirking at me and I knew that I had been caught during my mindless gawk. _At least he didn't see me gawking at him earlier._ I was so embarrassed my whole body was flushed. I crossed my arms as tightly as I possibly could around myself, desperately trying to make myself smaller.

It wasn't until I heard the sound of someone clearing their throat that I was finally put out of my misery. We turned in the direction of the door and I saw his driver. I couldn't help but think it was weird that his driver was still here. Maybe it was already time to take me home. I was instantly disappointed that my time here was over. I looked down at my feet in order to avoid showing them how truly disappointed I was.

"Yes, Taylor?" Mr. Grey said rudely.

"Sir, there is someone here to see you." His driver said curtly as he briefly glanced at me before leaving the room.

"Taylor, please escort Miss Steele home. Use the service elevator that way no one sees her leaving." Mr. Grey said, beckoning his driver back to the room.

"Certainly, Sir." His driver responded while holding the door open for me.

"This way Miss Steele." His driver, Taylor, said.

All of my thoughts were now confirmed. He didn't want to be seen with me. Not that I could blame him, I reeked of poverty. I didn't want to embarrass him any further so I decided to just leave things as they were and I walked out of the room without so much as a goodbye. The icing on the cake was that he didn't say anything back to me as well. As I followed his driver towards what I'm assuming is the service elevator, I could feel my insides plummeting. It hurt. I instantly became angry at myself for even letting him get somewhat close to me. I was naïve to think that we could possibly ever be friends. I hung my head in shame as I rode with his driver down to the parking deck. His driver, ever the gentlemen held out the door for me and gave me a sympathetic look. I gave him a full smile in return, throwing him off guard. I'm sure he was expecting me to be heartbroken and torn up from the obvious rejection I just received but that was not me. I was perfectly able to keep my emotions in check until I was in the privacy of my own home.

As I settled into the backseat and before Mr. Taylor got into the driver's seat, I gave myself a two second pity party before I pulled myself together. I pulled back my shoulders and straightened my body and decided it would be easier to maintain composure if I just stare out the window.

All too soon, we were entering the poverty stricken sights of my less than welcoming neighborhood. As we pulled up to my apartment building, I opened the door before Mr. Taylor could. He came around with a tight smile and I instantly knew that I was supposed to wait for him to open it for me. I felt bad.

"I'm sorry Mr. Taylor. I normally don't have people opening doors for me. I simply forgot." I said while staring at my feet normally.

When I looked back up at him, he regarded me with a smile. Which I so graciously returned and then I turned and headed inside toward my apartment. As I made my way towards my apartment door, I could see some strange man beginning to head my way with the clear intention of approaching me. I could feel my anxiety growing as I quickened my pace and lead myself to the front door. I could feel the man picking up his pace as well and I turned back and saw that Taylor was heading straight for the man. He quickly looked at me and gave me a reassuring nod and for that I was beyond grateful and I ran inside and into my apartment. I made quick work of the keys and locked the door effectively behind me and leaned my back against it. I quickly tore off my constricting red scarf and slid my back down the door as I let the tears silently poor down my face.

 _You are alright_. I kept repeating to myself over and over, hoping that this mantra would be able to calm me down. Unfortunately it was failing miserably. Today was not a good day. Dealing with the rejection and brutality I received from Mr. Grey and then that strange man trying to approach me. I felt like I was never going to catch a break. I hated that I could still garner such anxiety from a stranger. I thought I was finally getting better dealing with everything. Not everyone in the world wants to hurt me. I immediately felt emotionally drained and in dire need of sleep. I knew that with a bit of sleep I would more than likely feel better in the morning. I debated on whether or not I should go on my morning run and decided to just see how I felt in the morning. If I was up for it, I'd go and if I wasn't, I wouldn't. I'd just have to wait and see but then again, if I went on my run I'd might just see Mr. Grey again. Unfortunately, I actually wanted to see him again. I really needed to accept that this man wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. I should just make it easier on myself and avoid him at all costs.

I headed to the couch and set up my little make-shift bed. I decided against putting on my pajamas and instead I just took off my pants and slid inside the bed. I said a quick prayer that things would be alright and then I allowed myself to drift off to sleep; allowing everything that happened today to drift away with it.

 **AN:** I'm back. I know it took me a long time to finally get this chapter up and for that I am sorry. I was kind of stumbled on where I wanted to take this story but I think that I have a pretty good idea of where I want to take this. On an even better note, I just bought myself a brand new planner to keep myself organized with everything so now I can actually plan when I'm going to upload/write. I hope you guys like this chapter!


End file.
